Upgrade: Bring back electronic voting and make the election process better

Electronic voting machines stored in a room at the GCIC Building in this 2008 file photo.

While it's too late for this year's elections, elected officials should bring back electronic voting to make it easier for voters to cast their ballots in future elections.

Electronic voting was used in 2006, but a law was passed later in the year that barred the further use of electronic voting machines, citing accuracy concerns. That same law allows for electronic voting, provided that: additional training is conducted; an educational campaign is implemented; the machines are tested for accuracy; and there's a redundant paper record of votes cast.

Nationally, electronic voting machines have become more common since 2002, after the Help America Vote Act required every polling place to have a handicapped-accessible voting system.

Many states used the federal funding to switch to touchscreen systems. Some states have adopted electronic voting machines that also are able to produce a paper trail. If there's a discrepancy in the numbers, the paper trail allows officials to audit the ballots.

The Guam Election Commission should work with elected officials to identify and implement an electronic voting system that will work for our community.

Electronic voting machines will make it easier and more efficient for voters at the polls. Voters also can be more confident that their vote will be correctly counted.

The machines would be especially useful in the Primary Election, which routinely sees thousands of spoiled ballots from cross-over voting -- something that's impossible to do on electronic voting machines.

The machines also would mean a faster tallying of votes. Electronic voting also can help reduce fraud by eliminating the opportunity for ballot tampering.

While there is no perfect voting system, new electronic voting machines would be a vast improvement from the current system.

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Upgrade: Bring back electronic voting and make the election process better

While it's too late for this year's elections, elected officials should bring back electronic voting to make it easier for voters to cast their ballots in future elections.Electronic voting was used